A Different Way of Looking at Phone Use
Research from Georgetown University Around How Smartphones Shape Behavior
Smartphones are an integral part of modern life, offering connectivity, convenience, and entertainment. Yet, the narrative that smartphones are inherently harmful to mental health has taken hold, bolstered by research, anecdotes, and popular media.
The reality, however, may be far more nuanced.
Research from Dr. Kushlev at Georgetown University and his Happy Tech Lab highlights that smartphones can subtly undermine emotional well-being by interfering with real-world social interactions.
Simply having a phone nearby can make face-to-face interactions less enjoyable by pulling attention away from the moment. Constant notifications make this worse, increasing distraction and restlessness, even in people without ADHD.
The interruptions have other costs besides just distraction. For example, participants in experimental studies reported lower productivity and well-being when their notifications were active versus silenced.
A Framework for Phone Use
The real question for clinicians isn’t whether smartphones are good or bad: it’s how clients are using them, and what role their phones play in daily life.